Super Bowl 50’s Classic Rock Commercials

Super Bowl 50 offered another Sunday of pro football pageantry in 2016 – sandwiched in between some of the best advertisements of the year. We watched them all in search of Super Bowl 50's Classic Rock Commercials. What we found were timely tributes to a fallen hero in David Bowie, a historic first for Van Halen, not one but two hilarious commercials featuring old Queen songs and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler having an argument with a portrait of himself made out of candy. (No, we're not making that last one up.) And there's more. Wait, you were too busy with the seven-layer dip – or actually, you know, watching the game – to catch every ad? We're here to help, with a list of Super Bowl 50's Classic Rock Commercials.

Van Halen, ‘Runnin’ With the Devil’

Acura

Elements of this Van Halen classic were heard as part of Acura's new commercial for its 2017 NSX, which arrived during the first quarter of Sunday's Super Bowl. This marks the first time that "Runnin' With the Devil," from Van Halen's self-titled 1978 debut, has been licensed for an advertisement.

Aerosmith, 'Dream On'

Skittles

Steven Tyler's spot for Skittles played off his persona as an occasional motormouth and includes one of Aerosmith's most popular songs. In the commercial, the part-time country star ends up arguing with a rainbow-colored doppelganger who retorts, Ned Flanders-style, "You haven't heard me sing didley-ding yet." It's only then that we learned just how difficult it is to nail "Dream On."

Ted Nugent, ‘Stranglehold’

Free website builder Wix.com introduced itself to millions of viewers with a little help from Ted Nugent and Kung Fu Panda along the way. This marked the second time in two years that "Stranglehold" has surfaced in a Super Bowl commercial, following an appearance with Carl's Jr. in 2015.

Queen, 'Somebody to Love'

Honda

A flock of sheep joined in for a soaring rendition of Queen's "Somebody to Love" in Honda's new ad – that is, until a farmer got within earshot. Seems this guy is driving a new Ridgeline, which boasts a truck-bed sound system. That's how this Queen song, originally released as part of 1976's A Day at the Races, got stuck in the sheep's collective woolen heads.

Nilsson, 'Without You'

Heinz

You can't be sad while watching hot-dog-costumed dachshunds running in slow motion. You just can't – even while one of the absolute saddest songs ever (Nilsson's chart-topping cover of Badfinger's "Without You") is playing in the background. We tested this. That they are running toward humans dressed up in a frankly stunning array of condiment choices only added to the surreal joy.

David Bowie, 'Starman'

Audi

Turns out some people who imagine themselves blasting off into space on a thrilling adventure were actual former astronauts. The premise of this spot told us that Audi makes the car for just such a fantastic journey. And there's no better song to soundtrack their lift-off than "Starman," the lead single from David Bowie's 1972 ageless The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars.

Guns N' Roses, 'Welcome to the Jungle'

Taco Bell

This spot made a Jan. 1 tweet from Axl Rose seem like foreshadowing. Referencing then-rampant Guns N' Roses reunion rumors, he wrote, “The only thing I know 'confirmed' is my LOVE of Taco Bell! Mmmmm. ... Taco Bell!! Happy New Years!!” Of course, within days, a very busy year began to come into focus for the rebuilt GNR.

Queen, 'Another One Bites the Dust'

Hyundai

A new car-finding feature on Hyundai's Genesis model eased a worried dad's mind in a fun commercial powered along by "Another One Bites the Dust," from Queen's 1980 release The Game. The father, played by Kevin Hart, used the device to track his daughter on a date. Hilarity ensues.

Electric Light Orchestra, 'When I Was a Boy'

Hyundai

When you're born with a tiny glowing V8 engine in your chest, what else could you become but an auto engineer, right? That's just what happened in this Hyundai spot, to the accompaniment of the nostalgic Jeff Lynne composition "When I Was a Boy," from ELO's 2015 release Alone in the Universe.